Ryan woke up the following morning to a message from Holly that said she and her family would watch the remainder of the Tournament from the Mayoral Box as honored guests of Titanio City's mayor. She, Tommy, Jeremy and her parents would be there to root for him for the remainder of the rest of the tournament. While he prepared himself for the remaining matchups he would have today, against Mark and either Chris or Giselle, he heard a knock on his hotel room door. He made for the door and looked through the peephole to see who could have possibly guessed where he was staying, but was surprised to find Mark there waiting for him. Ryan eagerly opened the door and let one of his oldest idols in.
Mark nodded. "Ryan."
"Mark" Ryan responded.
"May I come in?"
"Of course" Ryan said, welcoming the former Champion of Kanto into his Hotel Room. Mark made himself comfortable on one of the beds in Ryan's hotel room as Ryan rushed through the remainder of his daily rituals and came out to talk to him. Ryan eyed the former Elite Four member with concern. Mark looked a little worse for wear. "Are you okay, Mark?"
Mark sighed. "I'm having a bit of a crisis, Ryan. And since you and I are going to be matching up today, I figured you were the only one I could talk to about this."
Ryan raised an eyebrow. "What could you be having a crisis about?"
Mark took a deep breath and looked to the boy that was looking up to him. "I'm no spring chicken, Ryan. I can admit that to you. I was fifteen when I met Michael in Kanto all those years ago. And that was fifteen years ago."
"So what's wrong, then?"
"I love Mike like he's a brother to me" Mark explained. "But I'm tired. I haven't really had a real day of rest in fifteen years. We've spent fifteen years fighting this battle with the Syndicate and repairing Arcana to what it was before your grandfather died. I want to go home. I want to be with my family. My little brother is putting off his own marriage until I can make it there."
"Mike never let you go?"
Mark laughed sadly. "I never felt I could tell him. Mike's been so focused on taking down the Syndicate and keeping the region safe that I felt bad if I put my own needs in front of it."
"You know Mike would have helped you, Mark" Ryan told the Elite Four member.
"It wasn't just Mike" Mark continued. "It was Lizzie and Chris and Cam and all of you. You've welcomed me into your lives like I was a part of your family. And I've cherished the last ten years I've spent here. Being a member of Arcana's Elite Four has been one of those lifetime achievements I couldn't pass up on even if I wanted to. But I'm 30 years old and I'm not getting any younger. I want to go home. I need to be with my family and maybe start one of my own." He laughed. "Part of me is jealous of what Mike has here. He has a beautiful wife, a cushy position, fabulous wealth and a baby on the way. I want that for myself."
"So what's stopping you?" Ryan asked him.
"There is a problem" Mark explained. "A couple to be precise. For one, it goes against the Trainer's Code to not give a battle your all. And I know my Pokémon would not take it well if I just up and threw one of these matches. The second, is that I owe you a match."
"You don't owe me-"
"That's where you're wrong, Ryan" Mark corrected him. "I do. You did so much for us from the time we rescued you from the ArcTV Studios to defeating Mewtwo that I'd feel I insulted you if I gave you any less than my all today. You earned this match today, Ryan. And if I shorted you, it would be a debt I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving Arcana unfulfilled."
"I'm confused" Ryan responded, his head spinning with Mark's revelation. "If you want to go home so badly, why would you want to be the Arcana Pokémon League Champion?"
"Because I owe it to my friend to give it my all" Mark explained. "Michael has been my friend for so long, that if fate decides that I am destined to be the Arcana Pokémon League Champion, I wouldn't hesitate to take that position if I win it."
Ryan nodded. "Well, here's the thing. So long as you give it your all, you shouldn't feel bad about what unfolds. If you beat me, then fate still has plans for you here. If not, then you get to go home after this all ends."
Mark thought for a moment before eyeing Ryan curiously. "Are you sure you're not Michael's son?"
"I'm pretty sure I would know if I was" Ryan laughed.
Mark patted the boy on his shoulder. "Thanks for the talk, Ryan. I needed it. I'll see you at the Colosseum in a few hours." With that, Mark exited out of Ryan's hotel room.
Ryan watched as the Elite Four member he had been idolizing most of his life walked out the door in shock. Mark wants to go home so badly, but he's willing to take up the title of Champion if he wins it. I don't know which path he's destined to take, but I feel like if I don't give my all in this fight with him, he'd never feel good with whatever unfolds. And I wouldn't either. I owe Mark a true match as feels he does for me.
Another knock appeared on his Hotel Room door. "Ryan! Are you ready yet?"
Ryan couldn't help but crack a smile whenever he heard her voice. "Almost, Addy."
"It's almost time to head down to the Colosseum" Addison reminded him. "You don't want to be late, do you?"
Ryan laughed. "Okay, I'm coming." He stretched as he rose from his bed and hurried over to the door to let Addison into his hotel room. He opened the door and then kissed her on the cheek.
She touched her cheek, beaming as she did. "What was that for?"
He shrugged. "For being here for me."
She blushed as she entered the room. "Was that Mark I passed up here?"
Ryan nodded. "He needed to talk to me about something. But I helped him."
"That's why you're the best" she assured him. "And why I think you're going to be an even better Champion than Michael one day."
"Come on, Addy" Ryan laughed as he made sure he had his rested and recovered team ready to battle. "I don't need any more pressure on me."
She giggled. "I didn't know a hero had fears of pressure."
Ryan rose to his feet and pulled Addison to hers. "Enjoy your barbs while you can, Miss Tenton. If I am the Champion one day, I'll be expecting some respect."
She wrapped her arm around his. "Of course. And I will gladly give his Lordship the praise he deserves." The young couple laughed to each other before they both made their way for the doors, hand in hand, for the next day of their journey.
{Some Time Later}
Arcana Colosseum was filled to the brim with thousands of fans eager to see the next stage of the Arcana Pokémon League Championship. Even with the Tournament still several minutes away, the crowd was boisterous and explosive already, chanting for whomever they wanted that was left to win. There were calls for Cameron, cheers for Chris, even some calls for Lizzie and Mark to be the new Champions. But the crowd's clear favorite was their hero, Ryan Kingston. There were banners calling for Ryan to be the new Champion. One exceptionally excited young preteen girl cheered for Ryan to be her boyfriend, with his name and her picture being inside a massive pink heart.
"GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" the announcer called to all of those in the crowd. "And welcome one and welcome all to the second day of the Arcana Pokémon League Championships! Twenty Four Contestants have been sent home without the glories of being Arcana's next Championship. We have eight more contestants remaining. At the end of today, there will only be two remaining who will have the honor to challenge our beloved Champion Michael Kingston for his title!"
The fans rocked all of Arcana Colosseum in their excited cheers.
"Let's see today's contestants" the announcer continued. "In the Eastern Bracket, we have a classic bout of heroes and villains. We have the Titan of Kanto, the Hero of Arcana, the Bearded Heartthrob and the Rogue Queen. Let's give a big warm welcome to four of Arcana's finest trainers: Mark Lionel, Giselle Odelia, Christopher Kingston and Ryan Kingston!"
From out of the tunnels of the Colosseum came Mark, Giselle, Chris and Ryan. The four all looked around at the stadium, which was even more excited than it had been the day prior. Chris blew kisses to all of his adoring fans in the stands, Giselle kept walking straight towards her designated spot, Mark waved politely and Ryan did a bit of a combination of all the three who walked in front of him. He waved proudly, beamed at the sight of a few girls screaming his name and whistling at him and trotted over to avoid incurring the wrath of Addison if she was staring down from the Champion's Box. He made his way over to his spot between Mark and Giselle and nodded to the others.
"Don't let your head get swelled up" Giselle cautioned him.
Ryan shook his head. "Not gonna happen. I'm keeping my focus."
"Because I don't want to face you when you've got Chris's ego" she told him.
"You've got to make it past Chris first" Ryan told her.
"I plan on embarrassing your cousin all across Arcana, Ryan" she hinted. "I don't owe him a thing."
"Then why want me at my best?" Ryan asked.
"Beat Mark and you might find out" she responded before the Announcer continued.
"In the Western Bracket, we have the Femme Fatales of Arcana. Nothing but the Ladies. We have Hoenn's Heroine, Arcana's Ace, the Maiden of Magenta Grove and the Bookish Beauty. Please give a rousing welcome to Lizzie West, Cameron Kingston, Madeline Kingston and Annette Fiveroux!"
An eager redheaded girl sprinted out in front of the crowd and waved to the drone camera. Despite the large prescription glasses over her head, Annette seemed bound and determined to prove that she belonged in the same Colosseum as the rest of these contestants. Ryan couldn't help but be impressed by her absolute confidence in herself, despite her otherwise humble appearance. She raced over towards Chris's side, blushing heavily as she stood beside him. Lizzie came up after her, waving shyly to the crowds before taking her spot behind Annette. Cameron and Madeline walked into the center of the Colosseum Floor together, waving happily as if they were the ones in the Title Match despite being matched up against one another. While Madeline took a moment to bow to the group, Cameron waved a long arm's length wave to her fans as the reception she got was quite warm.
"Let's hear it for all eight of them" the announcer called.
The audience let out an explosive roar of approval, though the sounds of "RYAN! RYAN! RYAN!" echoed louder than the other chants.
The referee came in front of them. "Before we begin, someone would like to say something special to the eight of you." He gestured towards the skies above as Rhaegar descended onto the floor of the Arena, much to the surprise and cheers of the fans. Michael climbed off the back of his Dragonite and stood in front of the eight contestants, taking a moment to look into the eyes of each of them. When Ryan locked eyes with his cousin, he couldn't help but grin at the boy who would be the next Champion.
"Congratulations to all eight of you who are remaining in this tournament" Michael informed them. "You are all the finest trainers in Arcana. If I could possibly split this role between the eight of you, I would. But only one of you will have the honor of challenging me for the title of Champion of the Arcana Region. And each of you has a strong chance of winning it." He took a step back and gestured to the group. "Would my close friends in The Elite Four stand up?" Mark, Lizzie, Chris and Cameron each took a step forward.
"These last ten years have been some of the most fun I've ever had, fighting side by side with you all. With this tournament, we have been the longest lasting Elite Four in the history of Arcana. If one of you is going to succeed me, I can safely say Arcana is in good hands. Mark and Lizzie, I know things have been hard on you being so far away from home. But if this is the last time you battle before all of us, I just want to say you both deserve nothing but love from these people." The crowds cheered for both of them, prompting Mark to shed a tear and Lizzie to beam proudly. Michael turned towards his cousins. "You two have been by my side longer than anyone in this stadium. Chris, you are the brother I always wanted. My best friend and the favorite of plenty of ladies in this dome. And Cam, I don't think there's a person more prepared for the role of Champion than you. You've been Arcana's most dedicated trainer besides me and I know I wouldn't have done as good a job as Champion that I have without you. And for that, you both deserve ceaseless applause." The applause both of Arcana's own got was quite positive, with both Kingstons waving before the four stepped back into line.
"As for our four new contenders" Michael continued, gesturing towards them, "would Annette, Ryan, Giselle and Madeline please take a step forward." The four did as the Champion bid, Giselle with somewhat less enthusiasm than the rest.
Michael laughed. "I never thought in my life I'd see Giselle back here. But you put aside your animosity towards us and helped me protect the people I love. If it weren't for you, this tournament wouldn't even be happening. You may have done some reprehensible things in the past, but you absolutely deserve to be here among all of these other trainers." Giselle was caught off guard by Michael's kind remarks, but she nodded and looked straight ahead.
Michael made his way to Annette next. "Miss Fiveroux, you've surprised a lot of people with how far you've come. But if you could take down Jon Kingston without even flinching, you absolutely belong here. If you're destined to be the next Champion of Arcana, it would be an honor to face you in the Title Match." The redheaded girl nearly fainted at the compliment of the Champion, but she kept herself composed and nodded happily to him.
Michael stepped over towards Madeline. "Maddy, this is the first Tournament you've been in since my first hosting, but you clearly have shown no signs of weakness or slack in your game. I know that if I leave Arcana to you, you'll run it well as you have the Gym in Magenta Grove." He snickered. "Good luck against Cam. You're gonna need it."
"Thanks for reminding me" she sighed.
Michael then made his way towards Ryan, looking down proudly on him. "Ryan, what else can I say? You've had to deal with an exuberant amount of challenges and obstacles to make it here. You've faced and overcome evils and dangers the likes of which even I can't say I did. And you've proven that your defeat of Mewtwo was no fluke. I think many in here want to see you advance all the way to the top, but to even be here at all is a privilege. Soak it in, buddy. You've earned this."
Ryan nodded. "I won't let you down, Mike."
Michael stepped back and looked to them all. "I wish you all the best of luck, because for six of you standing here right now, the long journey will end in failure today. But don't lose hope. Because as far as I'm concerned, you all deserve to be the next Champion of Arcana." He bowed to the group before climbing back onto Rhaegar and soaring off into the skies.
While the crowd exploded in applause at the Champion's departure, the Referee walked towards the eight. "Because of how well you've all performed, the Commission will allow you to spectate the remaining eight matches from side of the Colosseum floor right here." He pointed towards a group of couches set up by the wall of the middle of the Colosseum. "Annette, Lizzie, Madeline, Cameron, Chris and Giselle may take a seat here and witness the matchup between Ryan Kingston and Mark Lionel for the first match of the Quarter Finals."
The six proceeded to make themselves comfortable on the couches and watched as Ryan and Mark were led towards their spots. Ryan locked eyes with Mark before the two made their way to the other side of the Colosseum and his friend seemed hellbent on making him have to work as hard as possible to advance to the Semi-Finals. Ryan looked towards his team and realized he needed to decide on the three that would do the best against Mark's team. Unlike his father, Mark's team was much better balanced and far more likely to be matched better against him than he could possibly try to match his. Nevertheless, he knew he needed to put his faith in some of his most trusted Pokémon. Cora, Terra and Marahute. That will let me have Achilles, Sparks and Simba up against Chris if I need them.
"The Third Round of the Arcana Pokémon League Championship Will Now Commence! Mark Lionel will face Ryan Kingston!"
Mark quickly chose his three Pokémon and eyed Ryan confidently. "I hope you realize I won't be going easy on you."
"I'd be insulted if you did" Ryan retorted. "Let's go!"
{Meanwhile}
Michael enters the Champion's Box, surprised to find that his guests were already on pins and needles for Ryan in his matchup with Mark. Addison, Piper and Holly had each moved their seats to the front of the window as he made himself comfortable by scooping some food onto a plate and sitting on his Throne. He laughed as he saw them all looking on worriedly. "And here I thought I was the only one concerned for Ryan."
"I can't help being worried" Addison insisted. "Holly and his Father are one thing. Mark is on an entirely different plain of existence."
"He is good" Michael admitted. "Probably second only to Cameron as the strongest in The Elite Four since Chris doesn't want to train often and Lizzie uses a different team every single year." He folded his arms behind his head. "But if there is a person in this tournament who can beat him, it's Ryan."
"You're really confident in Ryan" Piper remarked.
"Ryan has something that Mark doesn't" Michael explained. "And it might just give him the edge here. That's not to say Mark won't make him work for it, but Ryan has something in his favor that I think Mark just lacks. He's not alone. Cameron has it, too."
"What would that be?" Julia asked her husband.
"An absolute confidence in himself and his Pokémon" Michael told her. "Mark may be proud of the team he's constructed, as he should be. But Ryan seems to be able to get the most out of his Pokémon. It's something that only a Champion can understand. Sheer power alone won't win you this throne. You've got to have power, heart, courage and absolute confidence in your Pokémon and yourself."
Addison nodded. "Ryan's got all of that. I may be nervous for him, but I still think he'll win overall."
Julia sighed. "Yet, if he does, it will be sad to see Mark leave Arcana. He's been here for ten years."
Piper frowned. "It will be weird to see the team break up after all this time."
Michael looked out onto the Battlefield. "Mark's done more than enough for us. If this is his last battle, we'll be sure to send him off with honors."
{Meanwhile}
Ryan watched as Mark took the first Poké Ball off of his belt and prepared himself. The former Champion of Kanto couldn't help but revel in the situation he was in, facing off against someone he had mentored and been a hero figure to. "I have a reputation to maintain, Ryan. I may want to go home and be with my family, but that doesn't mean I'm going to lay down and let you swamp over me."
Ryan grinned as he held his first Poké Ball in his hands. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Mark."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Mark asked him rhetorically. "Let's begin! Go! Goodra!" From out of Mark's first Poké Ball appeared his goopy purple and pinkish Dragon Pokémon, who bellowed happily as he spat out a vat of toxic slime all over Mark's side of the field.
So it begins. Ryan sent out his answer to Goodra. "Go! Cora!" His Kingdra splashed Ryan's side of the field with Water to counteract the Goodra.
"We begin the Third Round with a Clash of Flightless Dragons" the announcer cheered. "What a furious bout this should make!"
Ryan took the initiative. "Use Dragon Dance!" His Kingdra swam about in the air, increasing her Attack and Speed.
"Goodra!" Mark called to his faithful Dragon Pokémon. "Use Sludge Bomb!" The Goodra rolled it's head back and spat out a colossal ball of toxic sludge at Cora, who simply spat a Hydro Pump at the attack, causing the Sludge to disperse before it could even come into the Ryan's side of the field. Mark nodded. "Good. Then that means I can take the kiddy gloves off for you."
Ryan looked towards his Kingdra. "Use Dragon Dance again!"
"Goodra! Use Rain Dance!" The Goodra barked into the air and caused a massive downpour to overtake the battlefield. While Ryan was surprised that his opponent would so callously allow his Kingdra an advantage of fighting in the rain, he knew that the Goodra was benefitting from it as well.
This must be one of those supreme Elite Four strategies they build up around here. I need to figure out how his Goodra benefits from this and fast, or else I won't last really long here. Ryan looked to his Kingdra, who nodded back towards him happily. "Cora! Hit that Goodra with Outrage!" Her eyes flashing red, the Kingdra flailed towards the Goodra and smashed hard into it, but the Dragon surprisingly remained standing. Cora backed away as the Goodra smiled happily as if it had just been hugged.
"Goodra!" Mark called. "Use Thunder!" The Goodra growled into the air and sent a colossal clap of Thunder down onto the Kingdra, who was struck hard in the head, but spun back around, eager to fight some more.
"Okay, that's a good strategy" Ryan gulped. Only Terra on his team was capable of resisting a Thunder attack, but then it would weaken in the Rain. He needed to alter his strategies. If a head on attack wouldn't work, perhaps something else would. "Cora! Let's try an Ice Beam!" The Kingdra spat out a beam of Frozen Energy directly at the Goodra, who simply batted it away with its tail.
"You're gonna have to try harder than that" Mark told him. "Goodra! Hit him again with-"
"ICE BEAM!" Ryan called first. The Kingdra spat out another Ice Beam towards the Goodra, who had left itself wide open as it prepared to use Thunder again. This time, the blow struck home and Goodra was frozen into a block of ice. The Goodra tried to move, but it's entire body was encased in ice.
"That's not good" Mark admitted.
"Let's see your Goodra outlast this" Ryan proclaimed. "Kingdra! Use Outrage!" The Kingdra got herself angry once again and smashed into the frozen statue of a Dragon Pokémon with all of her might, smashing her skull directly into the Goodra's body. The Ice shattered upon impact and the Dragon Pokemon doubled over to the ground. But to Ryan's amazement, the Goodra stood back up. It looked completely drained, but it seemed eager to keep fighting regardless of it's situation. Ryan couldn't help but be impressed by the determination on display from Mark's Pokémon.
The Goodra pushed itself up and let out a happy cry as the rain poured down on it's body, restoring some of it's health and making Ryan suddenly realize Mark's strategy. "Your Goodra is acting all defensive because of it's ability to regain health in the rain. And when my Kingdra is all drained, you can smash it with all your Goodra's power with one ferocious blast."
"You catch on quick" Mark told him, "but not quick enough this time, Ry." Mark looked to his Goodra. "Let's give this Kingdra another taste of your power. Sludge Bomb!" The Goodra spat out a powerful orb of poisonous sludge, which the Kingdra was just barely able to dodge. Angry at the idea of being nearly engulfed in sludge, the Kingdra spat out another Ice Beam at the Goodra, who once more batted it away with his tail.
"Is that all you can conjure, Ryan?" Mark laughed.
"Not in the slightest" Ryan insisted. "We're just testing your limits. And I must admit, your Goodra has me a little perplexed, but I'm not giving up just yet." He looked to his own Kingdra, who was showing intense signs of fatigue. "Okay, Cora. Let's take this big pain down. Use Dragon Dance one more time!" The Kingdra nodded and growled, enhancing it's own powers for the third time. When she was finished, Ryan decided he knew exactly how to beat her. "Now, Cora, charge right into that thing!" Cora darted forward as if prepared to hammer it with another Outrage.
"Disappointing, Ryan" Mark told the boy. "How many times do you have to find out your Kingdra can't beat my Goodra in a head on attack." He looked towards his Goodra. "How bout another dose of Thunder?"
The Goodra called more bolts of Thunder to rain from the skies, but the Kingdra managed to dodge all of them and seemed poised to ram itself right into the Goodra.
Ryan grinned. "Ice Beam!"
The Kingdra spat the beam of frozen energy right into the Goodra's head, finally knocking down Mark's most durable Pokémon and ending their first bout. Cora retreated back to her original position, fatigued from the fierce battle. Despite the downpour, the audience cheered wildly for Ryan's success as Mark recalled his fainted Goodra.
"Not bad, Ryan" Mark complimented. "You're not pulling any punches."
"I wouldn't insult you like that" Ryan assured the Elite Four member.
"Then I won't either" Mark said as he reached for his next Poké Ball. "Go! Pikachu!" A small yellow rodent appeared from Mark's next Poké Ball, much to the adoration of the crowd.
"Mark's secret weapon, his Pikachu, has been called out" the announcer revealed.
"Advantages come in all shapes and sizes" Mark told Ryan. "And Goodra's Rain Dance can help him and my Pikachu! Use Thunder!" The Pikachu called up all of the power it's little electrical cheeks could store and shot an absolutely wicked bolt of lightning down on the Kingdra, ending Cora's courageous run in this battle. Ryan recalled his brave Kingdra and looked over towards Mark, knowing all too well that the battle wasn't over yet.
{Meanwhile}
On the sofas installed on the side of the colosseum floor, the other six challengers watched on as Ryan and Mark squared off. Lizzie was intrigued by both of her friends, with Mark clearly showing no signs of showing that he's holding back and Ryan having advanced far beyond the ordinary levels of a Pokémon Trainer. He truly was a Kingston, just like Michael. Annette watched on excitedly as the two powerful trainers squared off right in front of her, her glasses fogging up from the weather changes and the blasts of Ice and Water all around her. Madeline was already wearing her hood, hoping all of the rain water wouldn't mess up her hair. If she was going to win this, she was going to look her best.
Cameron remained focused on the match, studying each and every movement of the two trainers and analyzing them so as to not miss a single part of their plans and strategies. She suspected that, despite her brother's confidence in himself, that she would be squaring off with the winner of this match in the Finals and was therefore prepping herself for what to expect. Because the winner of this match would be the one who stood between her and her chance to once and for all settle things with Michael and prove that she was indeed ready to succeed him like he wanted her to. And she was determined to not let her cousin down ever again.
Giselle eyed Ryan curiously. She had always expected a Kingston to be skilled with raising Pokémon, as was their family's legacy, but she could not have expected someone so young to even rival Michael when he was his age. She had been blown away by Michael's talent as a trainer and she was starting to realize that Ryan might just be better than Michael was. He might just be an interesting matchup after all.
Chris, like Annette, was simply enjoying a fantastic match between two of the finest Pokémon Trainers in the region. He didn't have a care for what would follow, even in his own match with Giselle. He just wanted to soak in the excitement of this matchup, knowing that if Mark did decide to depart from Arcana after the tournament, this matchup might never happen again. He would get his chance with Ryan, but for now, he needed to see how the rest of this battle would unfold.
{Meanwhile}
"Whoa" Piper remarked as she watched Mark's Pikachu finally take down Ryan's Kingdra. "This battle is wicked."
Addison looked from Ryan to Mark, her nerves causing the rest of her body to shake. "This is more intense than yesterdays matches."
"Ryan is really making Mark work for it" Julia said, surprised that Ryan was becoming so powerful when only a few months ago, he was a green Pokémon Trainer. She made her way over to Michael and sat beside him, holding his hand happily. "It's hard to believe he's the same kid we sent off from Parlor Town."
"This battle is close" Michael answered from the throne. "A slight mistake from either one of them may be the difference in the end."
Addison held her hand up to the glass of the Champion's Box. "Ryan..."
{Meanwhile}
Ryan reached onto his belt for his next Pokémon. "A Pikachu, huh? Frankly, I never understood the hype."
"It's more than hype, Ryan" Mark warned him. "At least with mine, that is."
"I know" Ryan reflected. "I've gotten the best out of all of my Pokémon. Even the ones nobody had faith in." He looked towards Terra's Poké Ball and grinned. "Like my good friend here. We've been through a lot together."
"Then let's see him" Mark encouraged his opponent.
"Go! Terra!" His Sandslash emerged from the Poké Ball, slashing through the air at the Pikachu.
"And the hero Ryan will counter with his Sandslash!" the announcer proclaimed. "Let's see how this advantage will bear out for both of these Pokémon."
Mark was the one to move first. "Pikachu! Use Double Team!" The Pikachu concentrated as he made a few copies of himself who cheered loudly as they were excited to battle. Within seconds, five copies of the Pikachu were there in front of Terra.
Ryan nodded. "Not bad." He looked towards Terra. "Too bad we were expecting that. Terra! Use Earthquake!" The Sandslash caused a massive quake in the arena that flung all five Pikachu duplicates into the air like pieces of popcorn, before the Sandslash leaped up after each of them and took a firm swipe at each of them, hitting three of the copies before smashing the real Pikachu hard into the still quaking ground.
The Pikachu surprisingly leaped off of the ground and back into the air, smashing Terra in the head with a powerful Iron Tail. Terra tumbled backwards but landed on his feet to oppose the already rattled Pikachu.
"It seems we're even again" Ryan told Mark.
"Even on what grounds?" Mark replied. "I've got a few tricks up my sleeves."
"We'll see about that" Ryan called, looking towards his Sandslash. "Terra! Use Crush Claw!"
"Pikachu! Use Iron Tail!" The two Pokémon lunged for each other, with Pikachu preparing to slam it's tail into Terra's head, but the Sandslash caught the attack with his one of his claws and proceeded to slam the Pikachu hard into the torn apart arena. While the Pikachu was still in his claws, Terra proceeded to slam the Pikachu down again repeatedly until the Pikachu wormed out of his grasp and landed in front of Mark, completely drained of energy.
Terra barked at the Pikachu, who found himself unable to stand up properly after being throttled by the Sandslash. Mark sighed. "I don't think my Pikachu can keep going." To the surprise of everyone in the arena, Mark recalled his Pikachu and accepted the loss of his second Pokémon. The audience was perplexed by Mark's move, as now his Pikachu was out for the remainder of the match.
Even Ryan couldn't tell why Mark did what he did. "Uh Mark? You okay?"
Mark nodded. "I am. You got a few good hits in on my Pikachu. I'd rather not see my friend get ragdolled by your Sandslash anymore. So, I'll concede the round to you. But this battle is far from over. I still have an ace up my sleeve."
"Your Charizard?" Ryan asked.
"Not exactly" Mark responded. "Go! Mew!" From out of Mark's Poké Ball appeared his own good friend and Mythical Pokémon: Mew.
Ryan froze in place. The haunting eyes of Mewtwo shined inside of him and a stinging sensation in his arm caused him to clutch at his arm. Though Mew was little like the wicked clone that had headed The Syndicate, Ryan couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in the presence of Mew. The sounds of the crowds dulled around him and he could feel the last sensations of the Crimson Fury blazing inside of him, Unable to bear it, he fell to his knees and blacked out.
"Ryan?" Mark called out. "RYAN?"
But Ryan collapsed onto the floor, causing an uproar from the crowds in the stands.
{Meanwhile}
Addison winced at the sight of Mew, with the blaring blue eyes of Mewtwo still shining in the back of her head. But her attention was diverted towards Ryan as he collapsed on the stadium floor. "RYAN?!" she cried, rising to her feet to run to him. She was about to sprint out of the Champion's Box and to her boyfriend, but paused when she herself lost her footing and fell to the ground.
"Addy!" Piper cried out. The Queen of Arcana was soon by her side and helping her back to her feet.
"Wha-what happened?"
"What the heck is going on here?" Piper asked.
"MICHAEL!" Julia cried out. The trio watched as Michael grasped at his heart and slumped on the throne. She clung to him worriedly. "What's happening? What's going on?"
"Something's wrong here" Piper insisted. "Why did you three just collapse like that?"
Addison shook her head. "I don't know." She could feel as if Mewtwo was still somewhere inside of her mind, whispering something to her.
I may have been sealed away, child. But my power will return. And there will be no Master Ball to contain me when I am freed.
She clutched at her head. "Mewtwo...Mewtwo..."
"Mewtwo?" Piper asked.
Julia looked towards her husband. "Michael?"
"I can hear him" Michael told her. "He's still here."
"But that's impossible" Julia told him. "You guys had the Brands removed and Mewtwo's locked away."
Addison clutched at her head as Mewtwo's words continued to ring in her mind.
Do you think you can prevent my return forever? The whispers of my return are ever present, Miss Tenton. And when I return, no one you care for will be safe. Not your precious hero or your champions. I will scatter you all into oblivion.
"No. No you won't!"
"Addison?" Piper asked her.
Addison looked up towards the ceiling, as if Mewtwo was somewhere in the room with them. "Do you hear me, Mewtwo? I won't let you hurt anyone else I care about!"
We shall see, my dear. We shall see...
With that, Addison's pain in her head subsided. "You won't hurt anyone ever again, Mewtwo!"
Piper looked towards Julia and Michael, who was slowly recovering himself from whatever he had just been through. Michael was breathing heavily, as if he had just endured a vicious heart attack. "He's gone. But he's not gone forever."
"What can we do to prevent him from coming back?" Piper asked him worriedly.
"Michael" Julia whispered as she helped him back into his throne. "What can we do?"
Michael was reflective, before asserting his position. "Mewtwo is gone. We can't worry about him returning."
"But Michael" Addison cautioned. "We can't just not do anything."
"Addison's right" Julia gently told him. "If we do nothing to prevent it, we might as well be just like the Kingstons who wouldn't fight for you."
Michael sighed. "I'll beef up the security around his Master Ball. And I'll make sure whoever succeeds me isn't in a position to be tempted to seek out Mewtwo."
He looked to Addison and then turned away shamefully. Addison understood how afraid he was that one day, Mewtwo would return and wreak havoc on Arcana. He was afraid that they wouldn't be capable of beating him this time. While Piper went over to observe what was going on on the Battlefield, Addison walked over to her hero and put her hand on his arm. "You don't have to be afraid, Michael. So long as we take the danger Mewtwo poses seriously, he can't come back."
Michael nodded. "You're right, Addy."
Julia took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. "Besides, it's not like the Syndicate is still in place. Only Matthew and Claude are still out there. And they aren't in any position to make a move. And if they find themselves willing to, Arcana will be ready. Especially if one of our friends is in power."
"It looks like Ryan is getting back up" Piper remarked, prompting Addison to rush over to the window and look down. The referee, Mark and Ryan's Sandslash were surrounding him, but to her relief, Ryan seemed to be getting up of his own power.
"Oh thank goodness" Addison said happily. But she could not help but fear that what had just been a warning to the three of them was going to mean more danger in the future.
{Meanwhile}
Ryan's eyes slowly opened as he found his Sandslash, Mark and the Referee standing over him. Terra happily burrowed into his body happily, hugging him as he did. Ryan pet the Pokémon he had raised since he hatched from the egg.
"I'm okay, Terra" Ryan told his Pokémon. "I'm okay."
Mark sighed. "Thank goodness. I was worried."
"What caused me to fall over?" Ryan asked.
"Was it Mew?" Mark looked over towards his Mythical Pokémon friend, who was floating around aimlessly enjoying himself while the battle was paused.
"I don't know" Ryan remarked. "I just thought I could hear him in my head, telling me about how he was going to come back."
"Who?" Mark asked him.
"Mewtwo" Ryan answered, shuddering at the idea of that immeasurably powerful Pokémon that had terrorized Arcana through the actions of the Syndicate and their followers possibly returning and wreaking more havoc. He had only been able to beat Mewtwo by nearly sacrificing himself to the power of the Crimson Fury and trapping the wicked Pokémon in the Master Ball his friends had made. If he returned, he didn't think he had the capabilities of stopping him again. But for the moment, his foe was trapped and incapable of escaping without help. And with the only people who could or would be willing to help him being well off in exile, they seemed to be in good hands.
Ryan pushed himself to his feet and decided to continue the match. "But I'm ready to continue."
"Are you sure?" the referee asked.
Ryan nodded. "Absolutely." He eyed the playful Mew as he pretended to swim through the air on Mark's side of the field. "Besides, Mew doesn't look too evil."
Mark laughed as he made his way over to his side of the field again. "Yeah, there isn't much malice in this one's body. But plenty of power."
The Referee blew his whistle and the audience erupted in applause again. "The Match will now resume!"
Mark whistled and his Mew appeared right in front of him, the Mythical Pokémon's eyes fixed on Terra and battle. "Let's do this, Mew! How about an Aura Sphere!" The Mythical Pokémon shot out a powerful ball of energy at Sandslash, who simply burrowed underground to avoid the attack. The blast impacted with the ground and caused the Sandslash's burrow to be revealed.
"Terra! Use Crush Claw!" Ryan called to his Sandslash. The Sandslash leaped out of the burrow and slashed at the Mew, who simply floated out of range of the attack.
"Mew! Use Metronome!" The Mew looked curiously towards Terra before he sent an Energy Ball hurtling towards Terra. The Grass Attack struck Terra hard and knocked him on his back.
"Terra!" Ryan cried out to his Sandslash. The Sandslash rolled over onto his stomach, but was still shelled by the powerful Energy Ball. Yet, through it all, he still persevered to fight again. Ryan then turned his attention back towards Mew. "Let's try this again. Terra! Use Earthquake!" Terra caused another massive tremor, but the move missed as Mew simply floated higher into the air. Ryan watched as the playful Mythical Pokémon was toying with Terra. "This isn't good."
"Let's try another Metronome!" Mark called to his Mew. The Mew floated around in a circle before causing a massive blizzard that easily knocked Terra out of the match. Ryan recalled Terra and looked to his last Pokémon Ball for this match.
"Looks like I have to think of a new strategy" Ryan admitted. "But I have a feeling she'll pull through for me. Go! Marahute!" His Pidgeot emerged from the Poké Ball and cleaned her feathers before flying to the same level as Mark's Mythical Pokémon.
Mark folded his arms. "I think you'll need more firepower than a Pidgeot to beat me, Ry."
"You're right" Ryan laughed. "I'd better fix that."
Mark gulped. "Me and my big mouth..."
Ryan activated the Key Stone on his wrist and caused Marahute to Mega Evolve into Mega Pidgeot, with a rainbow wingspan that covered several feet as she hovered in the air majestically. The fans went wild with the revelation of Mega Pidgeot.
Mark grinned. "Mega Pidgeot vs Mew. This is going to be interesting."
"Marahute!" Ryan declared, focusing on the match. "Use Hurricane!" Marahute flapped her wings wildly and caused a massive windstorm to whip up inside the Arcana Colosseum. Despite his determination, the Mew was sucked up into the Hurricane and flung about the arena floor like a Pinball. When the winds finally died down, the Mew's eyes were spinning like bicycle tires.
"You okay, Mew?" Mark asked. The Mew quickly shook his head and nodded happily. "Alright, let's get control of this match. Mew! Use Metronome!" Mew spun around and caused a Twister to match up against Marahute's Hurricane, but the attack did little more than agitate her.
"Marahute! Use Air Slash!" The Pidgeot whipped up it's wings and slammed the force of the winds into Mew, who once more spun about in the air. Mew quickly recovered from the blow and bounced about the arena playfully.
"I think this is going to be the end of match" Mark looked towards the young trainer. "No matter what happens, it's been a true honor to battle you here."
"Likewise" Ryan replied. "But I don't intend for my challenge to end here."
Mark nodded. "I know. You've got some serious competition in front of you if you beat me. But I think you've got what it takes." He looks to his Mew. "But Mew doesn't like losing, so I'm going to make sure you're ready for all that this next challenge has for you. Mew! Use Power Gem!" Mew shot a powerful blast of boulders coming from the ground towards Marahute, which struck her hard and flung her right out of the skies. She was slow to recover from the Critical Hit, but she shook it off and looked towards Mew with an unrivaled fierceness. Mark sighed. "Then this is it."
"Marahute! Use Hurricane!" With one last Hurricane from his Pidgeot, Mew was sent flying back behind Mark and fainted, completely out of energy.
"Mew is unable to battle" the Referee declared. "The Winner is Ryan Kingston!"
The Colosseum burst into emphatic applause for their Hero advancing to the Semi-Finals. Mark recalled his Pokémon and nodded to the victor. "Congratulations, Ryan. You've earned it."
"Let's hear it for Mark Lionel" the announcer burst in. "And let's wish him well as he returns to Kanto after this tournament!" Ryan led the way in clapping for Mark's farewell. Then, the remaining Gym Challengers followed. Then, from row to row, the fans erupted into cheers and applause for their longtime friend from Kanto. Unable to keep a straight face and hide his tears, Mark waved to the fans, before taking his leave from the Colosseum Floor.
"Hey Mark!" Ryan called to the former Kantonian Champion.
Mark looked back towards him. "Ryan?"
"You're always welcome here!"
Mark nodded. "Thanks, Ryan." With that, Mark departed from the Arena Floor. Ryan looked towards the scoreboards and grinned as the image "Thanks For Everything, Mark!" blinked on and off to the adoration of all of his fans.